The present invention relates to conveyor systems and, in particular, to a system wherein a supply conveyor feeds a plurality of work stations laterally mounted relative to the supply conveyor via associated cross-feed conveyors and intermediate transpositors. The transpositors each include a pair of conveyors mounted one above the other and both being disposed above the cross feed conveyor. The conveyors of the transpositor each have a retractable conveyor end for controllably supplying product from the supply portion (primary) transpositor conveyor to a storage (secondary) transpositor conveyor and finally to the cross-feed conveyor.
Conveyor systems have long been employed in industry for controllably conveying products through a series of successive packaging steps. Support assemblies for containing the products are typically used with the conveyor system so as to appropriately constrain the movement of the product as it is directed to various workstations. To optimize floor space relative to such conveyors, and in particular flat conveyors, it is oftentimes necessary to direct the product from a primary conveyor to associated secondary and tertiary conveyors, which, in turn, redirect the product flow in directions different from that of the primary conveyor.
This transfer function has been achieved in a variety of fashions and, occasionally, via the use of intermediate storage conveyors, such as in U.S. Pat. No. 2,700,448. Such storage conveyors typically receive and temporarily hold the product prior to transferring it to yet another conveyor, operating in a different direction from the supply conveyor. This transfer process must take place without damaging the product being transported. It is with respect to this delayed directional transfer that the present invention is particularly directed. Specifically, the present invention is directed to a system and apparatus for receiving and conveying, for example, food products and directing them to associated wrapping stations. Directional transfers are achieved by using a supply conveyor having a plurality of transpositors coupled thereto in an end-to-end fashion. As mentioned, the transpositors each contain a pair of conveyors having retractable conveyor ends, whereby selected rows of transported product are dropped from a primary transpositor conveyor onto an underlying secondary transpositor conveyor. Subsequently, upon retraction of the secondary transpositor conveyor, the product is deposited onto a cross-feed conveyor, all this taking place without interrupting the flow of the product on the primary transpositor conveyor. Photo electric transmitter/receivers are used to monitor the flow of product relative to the primary and secondary transpositor conveyors. A programmable controller coupled to the transpositor also monitors the speed of the system supply conveyor, each of the cross-feed conveyors and the wrapping stations to thereby automatically control system throughput.
The above objects, advantages and distinctions of the present apparatus will, however, become more apparent upon reference to the following description thereof with respect to the following drawings. In this regard, it is to be recognized that the following description is made with respect to the presently preferred embodiment only and that various modifications may be made either to the transpositors or to the system configuration without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.